June 2017 UPDATE

Montlhѐry Vintage Revival 2017

The Montlhery Pits

There can be no better feeling than getting an old bike running; or so I thought until I got an old bike back on a banked track with some 300 other 1920 & 30s vehicles at the Montlhѐry Vintage Revival on 6-7 May.

Waiting with Tony Baxter Brooklands Museum (L) & James Hewing (R) Nat Motorcycle Museum

The event is held every two years at the Montlhѐry Autodrome, a Brooklands type oval, banked circuit just outside Paris. So it was particularly fitting that I was part of the Brooklands Motorcycle Team who were there to showcase the ABC Marque as guests of the organisers Vincent Chamon & Jean-Frѐddѐric Frot.

The sun was shining as we unloaded the bikes on Friday, but this all changed on Saturday morning when the rain appeared. I was riding the Brooklands OK Supreme in the Motos GP and Racing class and we took to the drying track for a sighting lap behind the safety car, before being left to our own devices. 

The Racing circuit peels off outside the main oval after the Start/Finish straight and Turn one was a bit damp but ok on what was an excellent tarmac surface more used to providing a test-bed for modern French cars. Oil flags were waving as I approached Virage du Fay a sharp hairpin, behind a smoking Brooklands Earle Cotton Jap. The wet and oil soaked surface had been spread with sharp sand which only added to the drifting sensation we felt as we tip-toed both bikes round.

Found some grip on the Start/Finish Straight

I found the grip as I accelerated down the straight into the chicane that led out onto the banked section of the circuit which only really works at high speed. The height of the banking is awesome, but mindful I was on a borrowed bike and the state of the weather I kept it sensible as I continued the session.

Fred Wade (BSA Empire Star) & Mike Digby (Triumph L2/1) of Brooklands Museum
wait in the pits for their Run

It was a truly memorable experience despite the challenging conditions and I hope to be back in better weather for the next Revival in 2019.

The Banking has to be seen to be believed 

Old Timer

MAY 2016 Update

March has been spent working on the Online shop. Photos to be taken and items to be described. This is likely to take a while before it is ready. At least the weather is not good, so it is easier to stay in the warm and keep tapping away.

Steve Parrish Shoot

Steve Parrish and Brookland's Empire Star

I managed to get out for a publicity shoot with Steve Parrish. We got him on the Brooklands Empire Star in the middle of a gale and thanks to the talent of Perry Barwick supported by Rob Overy we got some great shots which will be used to promote the Brooklands Motorcycle Event on 3 July 2016. Thanks to Steve for taking time out to drop in and he is looking forward to riding one (or more!) of the bike in July.

 Classic Bike Shoot

Photographer Simon Clay lines up the title shot

As the Calendar clicks over into May we take an opportunity to look behind the scenes of the Classic Bike Photo shoot featured in the last issue. It was back in a very mild autumn of 2015 that Sarah Bradley and Photographer Simon Clay turned up to feature the Motorcycle Volunteers of Brooklands Museum.

Volunteer Perry Barwick lines up the bikes on the Banking

Whilst Sarah expertly tracked down each of the volunteers to their own particular working space to gather their stories, Simon gathered others with motorcycles to create the group shot. After several other location shots, Museum bikes were taken up to the banking for the iconic title shot. Here the BSA Empire star, Rudge “Brooklands” special and Ex Denis Jenkinson Norton International sat in front of the Members Bridge.  The title for the piece was “Banking on the Future”, little did they know this title proved to be prophetic, because as Bauer Media’s presses began to roll, the Chancellor of the Exchequer rose to his feet and announced that no less that £1m of Banking fines received by the Government would be gifted to Brooklands Museum to help complete the new Aircraft Factory Exhibit already under construction.

Volunteer and Facebook page editor Tony Baxter with his Triumph

This project, whilst aimed primarily and providing a safer environment for many of the exhibits, will also provide a bonus for the motorcycle team, as the existing WW2 Hanger will be moved, opening up the iconic start/finish straight for the first time since 1939. I for one look forward to being one of the first in nearly 80 years to ride over this hallowed ground.

Brooklands Sunbeam

We began to prepare the Brooklands Sunbeam for this year’s events, by looking at a dragging clutch and improving the front brakes. After the brakes are relined and the clutch plates have been cleaned up the bike will get an MOT test. This will enable the bike to get an independent check before it takes to the Road and Track during the Summer. Check future updates for more news.

Warbike Review

We were also proud to be mentioned in dispatches by Pete Kelly who wrote a nice Warbike review. In-fact he even rang me up to personally congratulate me on providing such a concise view of the early history of Military Motorcycling. We are now being asked about other periods, and yes there will be a volume two, but gathering the data does take a lot of time.  For now Warbike: British Military Motorcycling 1899-1919 is still available at www.fenlandclassics.com  If you get in quick you may get one of the last few copies available at the discounted launch price.

We now look forward to the Kempton Park Southern Bike Show and Jumble. We will be in our normal spot Stand No: 181 and making an appearance on the Brooklands Show Stand.

Old Timer

APRIL 2014 Update

March has been very busy working on the Warbike project with not much time for anything else. However we did find a couple of days for a trip out to Eric Patterson’s Kempton Bike Jumble and the Veleocette Owners Club day at Brooklands Museum at the end of March.

Warbike Project

A lot of time has been spent in the National Archives. It is a chilling thought to realise that many of these young lads signed up as volunteers in 1914 believing that they were off on their bikes for a six month adventure to give the Bosh a bloody nose and would be back for a warm beer and a Sunday Ride out with friends. The tragic truth as we know was very different. Although relatively speaking the Dispatch Riders did have slightly better conditions. Often Billeted away from the front, the protection of rank gave them freedom to move through villages able, to eat and drink whilst their Tommy brothers and even motorcycle machine gunners were stuck in the trenches. 

We are also now setting up a Facebook page for contributions. This will be followed by a website that will act as research resource later in the year. If you have any information or documentation about any aspect of Motorcycles and WW1 please contact us at: Warbike@Fenlandclassics.co.uk or via twitter @fenlandclassics.

 

Kempton Jumble

The weather was good for the 2nd Kempton Jumble of 2014. There were a few French bikes and engines for sale and for a moment we thought we might source some parts for our rescued 1930’2 RhonyX. We did however discover that the tank shape was also used on similar Peugeot’s. We also got to see a 1935 Sunbeam for sale with remanufactured silencer. Sadly the work was done before the current owner acquired the bike, so we will have to keep digging for a replacement for our Sunbeam project.

Velocette Day at Brooklands



Will he make it ?

The following day it was the Velocette Owners Club event at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge. Our friends at the museum were running a museum Velo. There were hundreds of Velocettes of all ages shapes and sizes on site and many took a trip up the famous Test Hill in the afternoon led by racing Legend Ivan Rhodes.

Below are a few pictures from the day:

Just a few of the many that turned out

A nice looking Straight Line Racer

Ivan Rhodes Checks directions with members of the Volunteer Team 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Brooklands

 The April edition of Classic Bike Guide available now, carries an excellent 10 page Brooklands Special providing more information about the history of the site and the bikes. There is also a piece on Volunteer Ian McCaw’s rebuild of a 1927 Douglas which was donated to the museum.

Cotton Jap sporting referbished forks

Ian’s latest project is the rebuild of the Doug Earle Cotton Jap which now has a new tank and repaired forks. Why not get down to Brooklands to see this amazing collection.

The museum is open every day and the Premier Bike Event of the Year is Ton-up Day on 6 July 2014 (Twitter #TonUpDay14) with other bike events on:

• 8 June 2014 – Norton Day

• 20 July 2014 – Cotton Day

Photographer Mykel Nicolaou Grabs a shot of the Douglas for the Brooklands Special

 

Mondo Sahara

Motorcycle Adventurer Austen Vince has taken a group of like-minded mates on a trip into the desert on Honda XR400 cross over bikes. Sounds simple, and yes it is; the point of the exercise was to prove that you can still have the pure adventure experience and don’t need back up trucks and film crews as has been seen in other films in recent years. In fact they had no back up, relying on food and petrol that had been buried across the desert. Their only luxury item was “The IT Guy” whose job it was to navigate mostly off road from the UK across Spain, Morocco and into the Sahara. Well worth a watch and needless to say everything does not go exactly to plan, but they do achieve their goal. Bit of a sudden ending and some great extras (including your very own Mondo Pin Badge in ours).

We give it 9½ out of 10.

Old Timer

APRIL 2013 Update

April has arrived and still there is snow. When will it ever end? Still tons of salt being tipped on the roads and whilst it is a life saver, it plays havoc with our old bikes. We are told that the weather will pick up after the second week of April, so maybe we can get out more then. This time of year is usually a time for an increase in bikes of all ages on the road and the Dept of Transport has re-launched this years Think Bike campaign aimed at improving driver awareness particularly at junctions where the stats tell us most accidents happen. I am sure you will all have your own experiences of near misses or worse. For bikers it is difficult to anticipate where the next hazard will come from. Zebra Crossings and side turnings are the ones that seem to catch me, however defensively I drive. My own scars come from Diesel spills and wet drain covers! Why not let us know your stories via Twitter @FenlandClassics #roadsafety. You can also hear the ads on the radio or go to http://think.direct.gov.uk/motorcycles.html for more advice and information.

Vintage Bike Test

The Brooklands Volunteer Team

 

We were privileged to join the Brooklands Museum Motorcycle Team on 21 March 2013 testing their bikes before they attend the Vintage Revival meeting at Montlhéry near Paris later this month. We joined them at The Museum at Weybridge in Surrey to load up the bikes and then made our way to the test location which is more used to seeing the likes of TV Top Gear’s Clarkson, May, Hammond and the Stig burning rubber of the four wheeled variety.
 

A Very Cold Start

To say the weather was cold was a bit of an under statement. Rain was forecast later in the day and the east wind was howling across the exposed airfield. All the bikes fired up ok and were warmed up before the run began. There was enough time for all the bikes to stretch their legs before a break for lunch and some fettling. Alas in the afternoon there was only time for a short session before the rain started.





The Wicksteed Between Runs

There are also more pictures and information on the Brooklands Motorcycle Volunteers Facebook page.

 

There is a common misconception that these museum bikes are sitting in the museum gathering dust. We are able to say that this is far from the truth and if you want to see them and many more running at the museum turn up to the “Ton Up Day” at the museum (KT13 0QN) on 23 June 2013, celebrating 75 years of the Ace Cafe London. All the bikes listed below will also be in action at Montlhéry historic circuit near Paris on 20-21 April 2013

Ton Up Details:

www.brooklandsmuseum.com

Vintage Revival Details:

http://www.vintage-revival.fr/

 Here are the details of five of the bikes on test for France:

 1933 350 cc Norton International

This bike was supplied by Norton for the 1933 Manx Grand Prix.  It was then used in road races and was first raced at Brooklands in 1936 in the Hutchinson Hundred by JB Moss.

1983 350cc JAP powered OK Supreme

Built to a very high standard by one of the volunteers from a box of bits, it spends all of its time at the Museum but is taken out to play as often as possible.

1936 250cc Rudge “Brooklands Special”

This is a bike built by the volunteer team and like most of the others gets a regular outing up the Museum’s Test Hill or at events such as the one in France.

BSA 500cc JM24 Empire Star

This is a replica of the 1937 Wal Handley Empire star that lapped Brooklands Circuit at over 100 miles an hour in June of that year. This bike was built to celebrate the centenary and had pride of place at the Brooklands Gold Star Event last year. This is the bike that one the famous Brooklands Gold star after which BSA changed the name of subsequent models to the famous Gold Star. Read more in April’s edition of Classic Bike Guide.   

1937 500cc “Wicksteed” Triumph Recreation

This bike was created in 1986 by the late Tich Allen, and is a replica of the 500cc Brooklands Record Holding bike driven by Ivan Wicksteed Using a 500cc supercharged engine, he achieved 118.02 mph on 8^th October 1938 on Brooklands outer circuit. This record still remains unbroken.

Ivan Wicksteed on the Original Machine